Friction-clutch.



P. E. HUFFORD.

FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLIOATION rum MAEJS. 1913. 3'

m 1 m M w m V/I/V/IMV//f w WlTNESSES 0/ FLOYD E. HUFFORD, 0F MILFGBD,ILLINOIS.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed March 13, 1913. Serial No. 754,028.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FLOYD E. Hormone, acitizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county ofIroquois and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in FrictionClutches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is designed as an improvement in friction clutches and assuch aims to provide an efficient device in which all retarding.friction in the various elements of the clutch mechanism is reduced to aminimum when the clutch is in an inoperative position.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims whichare appended hereto and form a part of this application.

lVith reference to the drawings, wherein, I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, andthroughout the several views of which, similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a side elevation of theclutch. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the clutch in a horizontalplane midway between the two side faces of the device. Fig. 3 is asection on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4- is a section on the line M ofFig. 2.

Before taking up the description of the drawings, 1 wish to emphasizethe fact that while I have designed this invention with particularreference to the requirements of a motorcycle, it may, nevertheless, beefficiently applied to any other structure vehicle or otherwise in whichit is desirable to employ clutch mechanism.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the numeral 1designates a rotatable shaft of any nature on which is mounted theclutch designated as an entirety in Fig. 1 by the numeral 2.

The clutch box is formed in two homogeneous sections, each of whichincludes a boss member 3 and an annular laterally extending flange orplate 4: formed integrally with the hubs at one end thereof. Inassembled position on the shaft 1, the hubs are so disposed that theplates 4 are on the outside in each instance leaving a disk receivingannular chamber between the flanges.

The contacting faces of the hubs 3 are provided with interlocking tongueand groove connection as at 5 in Fig. 2 and further disclosed inassembled position by dotted lines at 6 of Fig. 3. The hubs 3 aremaintained in assembled position indicated at Fig. 3 by the lock nuts 7oppositely screw threaded on the shaft 1.

Within the annular chamber formed between the flanges are looselymounted the annular frusto-conical expanding disks 8 mounted inassembled position with their smaller faces opposed. On the smaller faceof each of the disks 8 are mounted a pluralitv of leaf springs 9 held inthe desired position by screws 10 or other suitable fasteners, andpreferably disposed on the face of the disk to lie as chords of thecircumference thereof. The disks are formed with a plurality of pinreceiving bores in which are seated the in membe s 11 arranged to bearagainst the f ee end of the s ring 9 for a purpose to he herei a terdiscl sed. These pin members 11 are slight v greater in length than thecross sectional dimension of the disks.

A loo e ullev or wedge ring 12 which is substantiallv triangular incross section and carries a air of circumfe entiallv evt nding beltretaining flanges 13 is mounted with the apex portion in engagement withthe apex portion of the V shaped circumferentiallv extending chann lformed by the conver ent sid s o the disks 8.

As regards the unction of the s rin s 9 and pins 11. it will he notedthat the disks 8 are re erab formed so that th y do not oc upy theentire s ace between the flanges. th s const uct on being desira e sinceit will p mit the upstandi g i ks to idle when the clutch i o en andwill prevent any gr t amou t o ricti n etween thev flanges and the saiddisks. Howe er. it has been found t t e n though the di ks o not o cupvthe entire s ace between the flanges, the amount of friction resultantfrom the rotation of the clutch box was g eat enough to ende the m chanim i ffe e and with a view of eliminating this difficulty I have providedthe spring pressed pins 11.

amount produced by the contact of the ends of the pins 11 with therotating flanges 4.

The actual construction and utility of theseveral parts of the devicebeing thus disclosed, it now remains to describe the opera tion of theclutch. Briefly it is as follows: The belt which for complication of thedrawings is not disclosed, is slipped on the loose pulley l2 andoperatively connected to the drive or driven shaft as the case may be.It is to be pie' sinned in this connection that the belt is providedwith a tightening device. When'the operator desires to throw the'clutchin, he merely tightens the drive belt with the re-' sult that the loosepulley 12 is forced between the disks 8, separating these membersagainst the action of the spring 9 and re sultantly forcing theirouter'faces into severe frictional engagement with the opposed faces ofthe flange 4. When the belt tightener is released, the springs 9 bearingagainst the pins 11 will force the disks away from'the flanges and thedisks will then idle on the hubs 3 until the belt is again tightened. f

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most eilicient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minorchanges in details of construction, proportion and arrangement ofpartsmay be resorted to, when required, Without sacricing any of theadvantages of'my invention, as defined in the appended" claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. The combination with a shaft 'of'a friction clutch, said clutchincluding a pair of clutch plates rigidly mounted upon the shaft inspaced relation to each other, a pair of loosely mounted disk membersarranged between the said clutch plates,means"carried by saiddiskmembers for yieldably holding the same'in spaced'relation to" saidclutch plates and means for separating the said disks to bring them intoengagement with the adjacent surfacesof the=clutch plates:

2. The combination with a shaft of'a friction clutch including a pair'of clutch platesrigidly mountedupon" said shaft in spaced relation toeach'othena pair 'offrusto-conical centrally apertured clutch disksloosely mounted between the said clutch plates with their apex facesopposed,and' a ring wedge disposedto separate the said the sake ofpreventing disks thus bringing their base faces into frictionalengagement with the adjacent surfaces of the'clutch plates.

3. A friction clutch including a pair of circular clutch plates, a pairof boss members formed integrally with and disposed centrally of thesaid clutch plates, a pair of frusto-conical centrally apertured diskmembers loosely mounted for free rotations on thesaid boss members, saidbossmembers producing a connecting hub for said plates, saiddisk-members being arranged with their apex faces opposed, a ring Wedgemounted in circumferential engagement with the said disks andadap'ted'when under"pressure" to separate the said {disks bringing theirbase portions" in' engagement with the adjacentf'aces of thecluteh'plates, and a pair of circumferentially extending peripherallydisposed flanges carried'byj the said ring wedge. I

4. A friction clutch including a pair ofclutch plates," formedintegrallyand arranged" centrally of's'aid plates, said plates-and liossmembers being centrally apertured to" receive" sh aft.

said plate members being mounted on the shaft when in assembled positionso that the boss members-produce a connecting hub betweenthe said platemembersya pair'of frust-o-conical' centrally apertured disks looselymounted for free rotation on 'the said hub, said disk I with their apexfaces opposed, a ringwedge mounted in circumferential engagement withthe said disk members, and means cara pair of boss: members membersbeing arranged I ried bv-the said disks for normally holding the disksin spaced relation toclutch plates; 4 5. The "combination with a shaftof' a frictionclutch including mounted'clutch plates carried onsaidshaft, a pair 0f-frusto-conicaldisks arranged between said clutch platesand provided with apertures, a ring"wedge circumferentially mounted onthe said disks, ried bv the said disks for normally holding them inspaced relation to' thesaid clutch plates; said means'includingiplurality of laterallvdisposed spacing ins operating through the:apertures provided in the-said disks, and a plural'itvfof' springmembers the said i a pair of rigidly and means 'carcarried on the apexfaces'of 'the'said disks I2nd adapted to engagethe'sai'd pin memers:

6. A friction clutch including a pair of clutch plates mounted inspacedrelation on a suitable shaft, a pair of lock nuts for holding'the saidplatesin assembled position, a pair of "disk members loosely mounted"betweenthe' said clutch plates, meansfor holding the said disksnormall'vspaced from the adjacentfaces'of th'esaid' clutch: plates,said" Ineansincludi ng a plurality of l ateral'lv disposed pins" loosely"seated" in suitable bores provided in the said disks, and a pluralityof centrally attached leaf springs, the free ends of said springs beingeach arranged to bear against one of said laterally 5 disposed pinmembers and means for moving said disks into engagement with said clutchplates.

FLOYD E. HUFFORD.

Witnesses:

G. O. BRADFORD, KATE K. FRAYNE.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

